World Cup winning former Australian captain Ricky Ponting feels that cricket’s return in Los Angeles edition of the Olympics in four years’ time will be a big positive for the game.
Cricket last featured in the Olympics in 1900, and the sport is set to make its long-awaited comeback at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Cricket was among the five additional sports proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee for inclusion alongside baseball-softball, flag football, lacrosse and squash.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed cricket’s inclusion at the 141st IOC Session held in Mumbai in October last year.
“It can only be a positive thing for our game. I’ve sat on various committees over the last 15 or 20 years, and it’s always been on the top of almost every agenda –- how do we get the game back into the Olympics? And finally, it’s there,” Ponting was quoted as saying during The ICC Review.
“It’s only four years away. I think it also gives cricket a chance to break into the grassroots level in the US.
“But the thing about the Olympic Games, it’s not the host nation. It’s about the audience that it opens up.”
Meanwhile, Ponting factored in that Olympics is followed by billions worldwide and it is the best chance for the sport to draw a new audience and stamp its authority on the global stage.
“The Olympic Games being viewed by so many people all around the world, it just opens up completely different audiences to our game that’s seemingly growing on a daily basis anyway. It can only be a real positive thing for the game,” he added.
However, Ponting felt that facilities and infrastructure, along with qualification, would be something that would need to be taken care of, given how the pitches in New York, Dallas and Florida during the T20 World Cup in June turned out to be below-par.
“Facilities and infrastructure and those things are going to be key and how many teams they actually decide on. I think it’s only six or seven teams that they’re talking about,” he continued.
“So, qualification is going to be at a premium — how you actually qualify to get into the Olympic Games.
“So all those things to think about, I’m really excited about where the game’s headed and the growth of different markets that we’re seeing emerge.”
Ponting is presently without a coaching role, having stepped down from the position with Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals.
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However, he expressed his excitement at the prospect of mentoring his national team during the LA Games four years from now, although he believes there would be a long list of prospects for the same.
“It’d be a pretty nice job, I reckon, to be a mentor around a cricket team in the Olympic Games, to hang out,” speculated Ponting.
“I was lucky enough to play in the Commonwealth Games (1998), and just to be around the athletes in the villages and stuff was quite a surreal environment to be in for a cricketer.
“So, look, I wouldn’t say ‘no’, but I think there’ll be a lot of people putting their hands up to try and be a mentor or a coach for an Aussie team in the Olympic Games.
“It’d be special to be a part of, so who knows? We’ll keep my fingers crossed and see what happens,” he concluded.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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